From the GA'A. PresidentCORNELIA SPENCER AND CAROLINA'S NETWORK

Carolina alumni who are students of UNC history know that in 1872Cornelia Spencer urged Carolina alumnifrom across NorthCarolina to attendan important meet-ing in the Senatechamber in Raleighto discuss thereopening of theUniversity. CorneliaSpencer collaboratedwith Alexander McIver, the state super-intendent of public instruction, to encourageinfluential friends to attend and securedpublic attention for the gathering in maga-zines and newspapers.While Cornelia Spencer had no reasonto think in such terms, she was formingwhat more than 100 years later the GeneralAlutnni Association would call the TarHeel Network. And while the circum-stances that prompted the GAA to createthe Tar Heel Network are not as urgentas the need to rally support to reopen ourUniversity, the Tar Heel Network is avital contributor toward developingbroader understanding of Carolina andensuring that it continues to receive muchneeded support from our many publics,including, most particularly, from theN.C. General Assembly.Fomled in 1983, the Tar Heel Networkhas members in each of North Carolina's100 counties. It is a broadly based orga-nization of community leaders who havebeen committed to generating an effectiveand continuing voice on behalf of Carolina.There has been no fund raising, no duesand no meetings of the several hundredmembers of the Tar Heel Network. Theonly commitment members of the Net-work have been asked to make is to readand interpret concise infonnation aboutthe University. As hoped, the Networkhas provided ideas, opinions and inde-pendent grassroots help on issues whereprompt and appropriate response fromalumni and Carolina friends was beneficial.In essence, the Network has acted assounding board, an idea source and as anadvocate for the University in both publicand private forums.The first Tar Heel Network newsletteraddressed the always challenging issue ofundergraduate admissions. Later Networkmembers were asked to assist then-stateSen. Dennis Winner ' 63 in his effort torestore the historic name "The Universityof North Carolina" to our Chapel Hillcampus. During the very difficult years ofthe early '90s the Network provided mem-bers with regular updates on Universitypriorities in the General Assembly andurged direct contact with legislators.The Network played a critical role indeveloping understanding and support forthe statewide vote for a bond issue forhigher education capital construction. TheNetwork gathered alumni in several com-munities to invite suggestions and recom-mendations for what should be the prioritiesof our new chancellor. And ofparticularnote, the Network has been effective inincreasing the nwnber of Carolina alumniin the General Assembly and in persuadingthe General Assembly to provide neededfunding for faculty salaries, graduate stu-dent support, and capital construction.Along the way, Network members havebeen provided summaries oflegislativeaction that have a direct impact on ourcampus and have encouraged members tolink their support for legislative candidatesto those candidates' support for Carolina.In the most recent sessions of the Gen-eral Assembly, the Tar Heel Network hasurged members to aggressively oppose pro-posals in the N.C. House that would cutfunding dramatically for Carolina. Fortu-nately, last sununer the General Assemblyadopted provisions in the Senate budgetthat were very favorable to Carolina.Among our University's many strengthshas been the passionate support we enjoyfrom North Carolinians who take greatpride in the fact that our state created andhas nourished one of the world's mostdistinguished educational institutions, onethat has achieved excellence by providingunparalleled public service, outstandingteaching and needed, cutting-edge research.We are grateful to all who representour University with passion and devotion.In your community and in your professionaland personal lives, to many you are TheUniversity of North Carolina. Followingin the tradition of Cornelia Spencer, wehope all alumni will actively join the TarHeel Network in urging your legislators tosupport all public education - kindergartenthrough 12th grade, the community col-leges and our public University System,and most particularly the oldest publicuniversity, North Carolina's "pricelessgem"- The University of North Carolina.Yours at Carolina,(b"Douglas S. Dibbert ' 70President